


Walls Have Ears

by Miss Hiraya (Miss_Hiraya)



Category: SB19 (Band)
Genre: Gen, Gossips galore, I'm not very sorry, OT5, SB19 Brotherhood, Slice of Life, Some Fluff, Some angst, author has gen fic!, author loves abusing timeskips, ot5 feels, pre--debut days, this demanded to be written, yay!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:49:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26482189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Hiraya/pseuds/Miss%20Hiraya
Summary: If walls have ears, so does he. Though sometimes, he finds no fun in eavesdropping. The unfortunate thing is, he can't help it.The walls have ears, so does he.But unlike the wall, he is not silent at all.
Relationships: John Paulo Nase | Sejun & Felip Jhon Suson | Ken, John Paulo Nase | Sejun & Josh Cullen Santos, Justin De Dios & John Paulo Nase | Sejun, Stellvester "Stell" Ajero & John Paulo Nase | Sejun
Comments: 5
Kudos: 16





	Walls Have Ears

**Author's Note:**

> A little drabble(?) I made instead of making a legit AU update *nervous laughing* Anyway, please indulge in some OT5 feels with me!~

If the walls have ears, then so does he. 

He's had a wild childhood, his family knows that. He's no introvert back then, but coming into his teenage years somehow changed him into someone who was content to be a fly on the wall. This was way before he started loving music so much he wanted to be on stage, too. Those years, he knew how to be silent and unnoticed. Those years, he learned how to hold his tongue and instead listen.

He discovered that there was so much people missed by just not paying attention to their surroundings.

_"He's good. Like, a jack-of-all trades, good. Wasn't he the former groupmate of that guy who topped all evaluations? They're friends, right?"_

_"Yeah. I heard they were one of the best out there. Se-on? You heard them, too?"_

_"Who wouldn't? That group's its own legend."_

_"Yeah, I expected much from the other guy. He's really.. out of everyone's league. But this one.. This one.. Well.."_

_"Not sure, no? But we'll never know. I heard he's close with everyone. And I mean, everyone who pulls the strings."_

_"Yeah, I heard, too. 'Sides, I don't trust a guy who smiles like that. I just know he's plotting something."_

He pretended to busy himself on one of the mats, practicing new style on how to tie his shoelaces. Someone pestered him with one tutorial video earlier to _"keep his brows from melding into one"_ and in the end, he got curious.

_That smile, huh…_

* * *

Evaluations had just ended. They should be celebrating by now, thanking all of heavens that the week-long stress and efforts had finally come to an end. But nobody was in the mood.

Long after the speakers were turned off and their bosses exited the room, the exhaustion in the room remained like toxic, suffocating air around him. Slowly, the people trickled away to find their bags and go home for the night.

Tomorrow, some of them wouldn't come back.

Tomorrow, the ones left would have to deal with the increasing empty spaces and lost voices they all got acquainted with the mingling training noise.

 _"It's all him. All him again,"_ He heard as he folded his sweat-soaked clothes into his bag. He tried to find where his tumbler of water went off to, but his ears were accustomed to multi-tasking.

 _"He's too good. He could be the main for every position."_ He heard the compliment all too well, but he knew the tone was bitter and a little too tinged with green.

The laugh echoed in his ears in response. _"Well, all but one! With a face like that…"_

He blinked awkwardly, remembering who borrowed it from earlier. He could call the other back to the room. But if his own blood boiling was any indication, he'd rather not.

 _A face like that?_ He just saw it this morning, smiling coyly and making puppy-dog eyes at him for all but two seconds before snatching his tumbler. A face like that didn't need to hear all of these.

He pretended not to mind the pinging in his head. Tomorrow.. Tomorrow is another day.

* * *

It's funny, how people contradict their own perceptions in different occassions. He mused himself with fiddling with his headphones. Nobody would know it's not playing anything yet, since he's creating a new playlist. Teacher said another demo was coming over. 

He'd like to find some inspiration right now before it arrived.

_"He's pretty. And tall. He's got to be the tallest out of all of us, right?"_

He'd like to answer an affirmative, but again, he's busy minding his own business.

_"Yes, all the good genes must run in his family. Have you seen his older brother?"_

_"Ugh, yes. And you're right. He's a lucky one."_

Another voice scoffed _, "It'll run out. He keeps lagging behind and he's next to go."_

_"You're callous."_

_"I'm realistic. And don't pretend we're all here to cheer for each other all the time."_

  
At the end of the day, they were all here to fight for their dreams. He knew this by heart. He knew the last ten of them knew it, too. It's what fueled them to stay even when it felt like they were marching to a dead end, or a wasteland.

He gave up on finding the right songs then, leaning his head on their wall and catching a glimpse of the wall clock. If he could get his legs to move, he could be home just in time for dinner.

He waited. The person in the bathroom stall still wasn't finished washing away frustrated tears with cold water. He stayed.

He's got time.

* * *

He heard no words this time to catch his attention. What he got first was the sharp, whirl of the wind and a slammed door. It was inevitable. The news had shocked them, twisted their already battered hearts when they thought the worst was over. Not one, but two were told to go home that afternoon. Never to come back again.

Two people who were with them for the longest until now. Two people who had been right there when all of this started. Two people who had burning desires to see it to the end, and for a moment, believed that they were already there.

Only for this day to come.

He called their names before they could round the corner. He tried to reach of them, even. But even in that small distance, he felt the gap, the world shaking apart between where they stood on opposite sides. So close, yet so, so far.

It's too late. The management's decision is final. Everyone knew that.

What the words he couldn't hear with their tightly clamped lips, he could see in those faces. In those eyes hid an unforgiving tempest. They struck him in place, freezing his bones to where he stood. For once, he's lost for words. At the back of his mind, he knew not any syllable could possibly calm their griefs. 

He walked back to their training room which remained as empty and as welcoming as before. He wished for it to be something other than indifferent, though it was impossible and stupid. Inanimate things couldn't be sympathetic, much less feel anything.

None of the other three members where around when he landed his eyes around the four dull corners. They all went home, save for the staffs who he found at the back, packing their things behind closed door.

_"- Can't do this any longer.. It's too much."_

_"I know.. I know, it's tough to see them.."_

_"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"_

_"Hey, hey no. It's okay. We'll be okay.."_

It took another week before one of them revealed they were already leaving, and that they alrrady submitted their letters months earlier. He couldn't blame them. Who was he to stop them from getting better opportunities for themselves? He's not even that good with words to say his proper farewells, let alone a decent thank you for their service and support.

 _We'll be okay_ , they said. It was as positive as they came, but he couldn't find the hope for those words. Not that anyone would care to ask his pessimistic opinions, anyway.

_"You'll be okay. We'll support you from where we can, I promise. You'll see us in that crowd, no matter where it is. You'll see us cheer for you the loudest."_

It's in these times that he felt like one of the four, gray walls of this room. Listening, but devoid of any feeling.

* * *

It took a while, but finally the last piece of their puzzle arrived. He's a silent one, awkward too. He almost looked dumb with the way he spaces out sometimes. They tried to talk to him, to vibe with him, but even their cheerful and most charming members could barely get a word out of their new guy.

At first, it was okay. They were told he came from far south, with an entirely different environment and language. Josh knew him from a friend, and then recruited him. By some divine intervention, he passed through the online audition. Now, he's here. Anyone in the guy's shoes would be overwhelmed, too.

As time went on, his puzzling and oftentimes abrasive nature became too much even with their stretched understanding and patience. Oh, no, he's great alright. He got all the right moves and all the right attitude in dancing. He hit the lowest notes like no other, bringing another wonderful layer to their voices like they never imagined before. But they knew, if they had to pull this group to debut, they had to work together. How could they, though? When it's already weeks and months, still they couldn't feel their newest member really become "one of them?"

He's not blind to see that the new addition was straining whatever bond they had formed together over the past years. He knew they had to do something.

* * *

_"-okay raman ko dire, Ma. Oo, nagkaon na'pod ko."_

_["-okay lang ako dito, Ma. Opo, kumain na din ako."]_

He could name that deep baritone anytime, despite the bizarre langauge. Instead of stepping out fully in the open from where he was catching a breather outside, this time his instinct told him to pause.

The voice laughed. He almost choked on his own spit. It's not a thing he's heard from the guy ever since they met. At all. It's.. It's weird, and carefree, and messy. It's.. nice.

 _"Oo, Ma, amigo na pod mi. Hahah, lagi! Di lagi mutuo?! Buutan man sila, Ma. Manghagad gali ug kaon permi, tapos sabayan ko ug kaon. Hatagan pa ko sa ilang sud-an. Uhh… Oo, Ma naa man ako- Naa lagi, naa paman ko'y kwarta. Okay ra lagi ko dire,_ _M_ _a. Di lang sa ko muuli, please? Kaya lagi, Ma."_

_["Oo, Ma. Kaibigan ko na sila. Hahah, oo nga! Ba't ayaw maniwala?! Mababait naman sila, Ma. Lagi pa ngang nag-aaya para kumain, tapos sabay pa kami madalas. Nagbibigay pa nga sila ng ulam... Oo, Ma meron naman akong [ulam]- Meron nga, may pera pa naman din ako. Okay lang talaga ako dito, Ma. Di muna ako uuwi, please? Kaya ko naman talaga, Ma."]_

He paused again. He could barely understand anything they were talking about, but he caught on to the pinched tone and sigh from their newest member.

_"Yes, Ma. Amping mo dira. Yes, Ma mutawag rako sunod. Balik sa mi'g practice, gitawag na mi sa among teacher."_

_["Yes, Ma. Mag-iingat kayo diyan. Yes, Ma tatawag ako ulit sa susunod. Balik muna kami sa practice, tinatawag na kami ng teacher namin.]_

He wondered what that meant. He understood the word "teacher", but she was away for a week for a personal appointment somewhere.

* * *

**~~The walls have ears..~~ **

_"Josh, bagay sa angas mo mag rap, no?"_

_"Huh? Wag ka nga magulo, hindi ko pa nga nakukuha yung hum dito sa part na'to, oh!"_

_"Bagay kaya."_

_"Ewan ko sa mga trip mo sa buhay, Juan Pablo."_

_"Imemorize mo rap part. Sa'yo part na yan, ha?"_

_"Hah??"_

_"Hatdog."_

**~~.. So does he.~~ **

_"Wow, sir ang swerte naman ng gf niyo. Kayo pa talaga bumibili ng skin care niya."_

_"Umm, Miss hindi po-"_

_"Ako'ng gagamit, ate, maganda naman tong brand na'to di'ba?"_

_"A-ah, yes sir! Eto po sukli ninyo, thank you!"_

_"T-thank you din po!- Sejun, hoy, Sejun! Ang bilis maglakad ah!"_

_"Apakabagal! Sabi mo lilibre mo'ko pagkatapos mo mag-Watsons!"_

_"Ba't ka galet? Ba't ka muna nag-attitude kay ateng cashier!"_

_"Mabagal kasi! She should just mind her own business like she's supposed to."_

_"Aba, hoy. Nagtatanong lang, walang englishan."_

. ** ~~. But unlike the wall..~~**

_"Sejun, ba't andito ka pa? Di'ba sabi mo uuwi ka nang maaga kasi magsisinigang si tita?"_

_"Magpapatira na lang ako."_

_"Weh?"_

_"Oo nga. Ano, aalis ka na ba? May sasabihin sana ako tungkol kanina. Napansin ko lang kasi sa voice lessons natin na tinatry mong magsimula sa-"_

_"Teka, teka sandale. Free tutorial ba, to?"_

_"Upo, Justin de Dios o ako magpapaupo sa'yo."_

_"Hala, eto na nga eh, uupo na! Nabubugnot ka na naman!"_

~~**.. He is not silent at all.** ~~

_"Ano na naman pag-uusapan natin? Ten minutes na naman tayong magtitigan, ganon?"_

_"Teka, Jah pasmado kamay ko-"_

_"Okay lang, parang faucet nga eh-"_

_"May naisip akong game! Ken, di'ba bisaya ka?"_

_"Umm.. oo?"_

_"Turuan mo kami, kahit iilang words lang sa ten minutes kesa walang kwenta yung pinag-uusapan natin."_

_"Ayun, sa wakas may magandang ideya din si Sejun!"_

_"Hala game ako, game ako! Gusto ko din matuto ng bisaya, eh!"_

_"Ako din! Okay lang ba sa'yo, Ken? Pwede namang iba nalang kung ayaw mo-"_

_"O-okay lang, Justin. Umm.. Sige, Ano bang gusto niyong malaman na salita?"_

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, how was it? I tried(??) Eheh.


End file.
